Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities that are preventing them from making healthier choices. It helps people become motivated to change unhealthy behaviors and helps to Identify a person’s core values and goals and uses this as a basis to encourage behaviour change.

The goal of motivational interviewing is to “help clients identify and change behaviors that place them at risk of developing health problems or that may be preventing optimal management of a chronic condition”. Motivational Interviewing is using motivational interviewing is to help clients move through the stages of readiness for change in dealing with risky or unhealthy behavior.

Research has shown that this intervention works well with individuals who start off unmotivated or unprepared for change. They may not be ready to commit to change, but motivational interviewing can help them move through the emotional stages of change necessary to find their motivation.

Guiding Principles of Motivational Interviewing:

How we speak to people is likely to be just as important as what we say

Being listened to and understood is an important part of the change process

The person who has the problem is the person who has the answer to solving it

People only change their behavior when they feel ready, not when they are told to do so

The solutions people find for themselves are the most enduring and effective.

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Mainstay Recovery offers long-term comprehensive substance abuse and co-occurring outpatient treatment for all genders. We place emphasis on helping individuals to discover their sense of self, sense of purpose and how to live a life congruent to their authentic selves.